A HOMELESS man was sleeping in a disabled toilet at Boscombe bus station.

The man in his 30s, was using a radar key to open the toilet and staying there overnight.

PC Carmel Ryan from Boscombe police said officers had become aware of the issue over the last few months.

She said: “We didn’t want to criminalise somebody sleeping rough, we try and work with them and street services.

“But there was also the fact disabled people couldn’t use the toilet and we were also getting complaints because he was sitting outside neighbouring properties and begging.

“He wasn’t registered disabled.”

Police recently ordered him to leave the area for 24 hours because he had been drinking but he returned and was arrested and officers were able to take the radar key off him.

Stuart Best, the council’s street services manager, said: “The council’s disabled toilets are checked on a daily basis.

“Anyone found sleeping in a disabled toilet will be requested to move on.”